1. Field of the Invention
The system and method relates to an interactive show, and more particularly, to distributed control of the interactive animatronic show.
2. Description of the Related Technology
An animatronic figure is a robotic figure, puppet, or other movable object that is animated via one or more electromechanical devices. The term “animated” is meant to be interpreted as to move to action. The electromechanical devices include electronics, mechanical, hydraulic, and/or pneumatic parts. Animatronic figures are popular in entertainment venues such as theme parks. For example, animatronic characters can be seen in shows, rides, or other events in a theme park. The animatronic character's body parts, such as the head and the arms, may generally move freely. Various animatronic systems have been created over a number of decades to control the animatronic figure.
Currently animatronic shows are controlled by centralized systems. These systems use precise synchronized clocks and dedicated high speed communication links to trigger events and playback content throughout the system. This existing approach is expensive, requires specialized infrastructure, suffers from having a single point of failure, and is difficult to scale to large and interactive shows. The standard approach involves a centralized show controller, generally a computer, that sends signals to individual components—be it sound, lighting, or figure motions. In theater, there is typically a person “at a control board” triggering events via protocols such as Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), Digital Multiplex (DMX), etc. In theme park style attractions, the control is typically from a dedicated control box.